The group was made up of Ambassadors Deborah Paul (Canada), Wendy Matthews (New Zealand), Grete Løchen (Norway), and Beatrice Maser Mallor (Switzerland), representing the four countries known as the G4, Group of Four, in Vietnam. Their two-day official visit was to examine firsthand the post-war situation in Quang Tri, particularly ongoing efforts to survey and clear Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) which still endanger the lives of local people. They also reviewed other development projects funded by the G4 countries.

In Tan An Village of Hai An Commune, near My Thuy (called “Wonder Beach” by American GIs during wartime), the ambassadors met and talked with members of NPA-Project RENEWs all-woman clearance team.

The team was one of two battle area clearance (BAC) teams deployed in 2018 with funding from the UKs aid agency, the Department for International Development (DFID). One of those NPA-RENEW teams is Vietnam’s first all-woman clearance team, professionally trained and certified to clean up ERW. The contaminated land they are working on is in Hai Lang District.

BAC Team Leader Nguyen Thi Thuy, a 30-year-old mother of one daughter, said it was a special day for her and her team members to be able to host these women ambassadors. “It is very encouraging for us to meet these women ambassadors,” Thuy said. “Their visit motivates us so much. This highlights the important role of women in all aspects of life.”

Thuy added, “We hope they get the word out about the ERW problem in Vietnam, so that we will have more support to continue our work to make Quang Tri safe from bombs and mines.”

Since October 2018, Thuys all-woman BAC team has found and safely destroyed 275 dangerous ERW, including 104 cluster munitions, in the two villages of Thuan Dau and Tay Tan An. Her team has cleared and released 500,000 m2 of safe land for the community to now use and further develop. The teams work so far has benefitted 4,621 residents who live in these villages.

Norwegian Peoples Aid (NPA) Survey & Clearance Program implemented at Project RENEW (Restoring the Environment and Neutralizing the Effects of the War) is funded by the U.S. Department of State and the UK Department for International Development, and is a cooperative project between NPA and the Quang Tri Province Department of Foreign Affairs.